Method and apparatus for producing a plurality of sheets of material containing alkaloids

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the production of a plurality of sheets of a material containing alkaloids, the method including the steps of: •( 100 ) providing a slurry including a material containing alkaloids and water in a tank; •( 101 ) providing the tank with a plurality of outlets; •( 102 ) supplying slurry from the outlets on a movable support so as to form a plurality of parallel sheets of material containing alkaloids; and•keeping the parallel sheets of material containing alkaloids separated on the movable support while moving the movable support. The invention also relates to an apparatus ( 1 ) for the production of a plurality of sheets of a material containing alkaloids.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for the production of a plurality of sheets of material containing alkaloids, the apparatus comprising:
 a tank adapted to contain a slurry having a plurality of outlets; and 
 a movable support comprising a single belt conveyor adapted to move along a transport direction, the movable support further comprising a plurality of separators positioned parallel to the transport direction and positioned on a surface of the single belt conveyor, the separators dividing the surface of the single belt conveyor in a number of sections; 
 wherein each of the outlets of the plurality is located above a section. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , including a spraying gun or an ejection gun at each outlet of the plurality. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , including a pressure regulator at each outlet of the plurality. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , including a flow meter at each outlet of the plurality. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a width of the sections in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction is preferably comprised between about 10 millimetres and about 300 millimetres. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a height of the separators in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction is preferably comprised between about 10 millimetres and about 100 millimetres. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a dimension or shape of each outlet of the plurality is changeable.